IMPLIMENTATION OF MID DAY MEAL SCHEME IN INDIA

BHARATI C.MIRAJKAR; Usha Ravindra

Volume : VI, Issue : V, May - 2016

IMPLIMENTATION OF MID DAY MEAL SCHEME IN INDIA

Bharati C. Mirajkar, Usha Ravindra

Abstract :

 The National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education which is popularly known as the Mid–day Meal Scheme was launched by the Government of India in 1995 with the objective of giving a boost to universalisation of primary education by increasing enrolment, attendance and retention and simultaneously improving the nutritional status of students in primary classes. Accordingly, many of the states started distributing food grains (dry rations) @ 3 kg. / per month/ per child with 80% attendance in class. The Cooked mid–day meal (CMDM) scheme was introduced in all Government and Government–assisted primary schools in the form of a country–wide “Day of action on mid–day meals” in April 2002 by a landmark direction of the Supreme Court. In 2004, the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Elementary Education and Literacy revised the guidelines for the scheme prescribing supply of meal with 300 calories and 8–12 grams of protein. The Ministry again revised the scheme in September 2006 to provide cooked mid–day meal with 450 calories and 12 grams of protein content to all children in primary classes (I–V) in the country. In October 2007, the scheme has been further revised to cover children in upper primary (classes VI to VIII). The key objectives of the scheme are: protecting children from classroom hunger, increasing school enrolment and attendance, improved socialization among children.